www.maderatribune.comServing the Heart of California since 1892http://www.maderatribune.com/node/2064/atom.xml2015-03-03T22:45:14+00:00http://www.maderatribune.com/news/without-home-animal-rescuer%E2%80%99s-death-leaves-more-100-cats-overwhelmed-shelter2012-06-19T21:01:14+00:002012-06-20T21:01:28+00:00Without a home: animal rescuer’s death leaves more than 100 cats to overwhelmed shelterwebmaster

Madera County Animal Control officers removed more than 100 cats from a home in the 11200 block of old Highway 41 Monday after a well-intentioned but overwhelmed animal rescuer died unexpectedly last week.

According to Madera County Animal Shelter director Kirsten Gross, the cats were well fed and most were in good condition, with the exception of a few sick with a cold-like illness common in cats closely confined. But they’re now without a home or the prospect of finding one.

Several of the rooms of the neat, older home had been modified with security doors and were stacked six feet high with large animal crates. Some of the cats had old injuries, and one had apparently been hit by a car some time ago and had no use of his rear legs.

The effort to clean up the mess will be costly and labor intensive, according to Gross, with the cats being evaluated, housed and fed at the shelter, and some tested for feline leukemia — a common, contagious and untreatable fatal disease. All at significant expense to the already-struggling county animal shelter operation...